Author Topic: is there a good narrow kerf standard mount bar for stihl?  (Read 2677 times)

0 Members and 15 Guests are viewing this topic.

Offline quietrangr

  • 3 cube
  • *
  • Posts: 6
  • Karma: 0

  • Total Badges: 9
    Badges: (View All)
    Search Third year Anniversary Windows User Level 2 Second year Anniversary Topic Starter
is there a good narrow kerf standard mount bar for stihl?
« on: November 13, 2011, 01:53:58 pm »
I got the microlite pro, (now name changed to Pro-lite Plus), and put it on my 361 with a 9 tooth sprocket, only one available. It cut like crazy, and smooth as silk, but within two or three tanks, the bar groove had worn wide, and the chain flops to the side in soft wood. Even a brand new chain slops side to side in the bar. My Husqvarna branded narrow kerf bar has no problems like that; I've been using them for six months on a 346. The Stihl is using enough oil. I came across this one other time with a cheaper bar. Is there a good narrow kerf bar for the Stihl standard mount?

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter


Offline Cut4fun .

  • Administrator
  • Nitro Hotsaw
  • *******
  • Posts: 23744
  • Karma: 664
  • OHIO REDNECK Saw Repair Getter Done
    • Redneck Chainsaw Repair

  • Total Badges: 53
    Badges: (View All)
    Tenth year Anniversary Nineth year Anniversary Level 8 Apple User Eighth year Anniversary 20000 Posts
9T 3/8?

Offline quietrangr

  • 3 cube
  • *
  • Posts: 6
  • Karma: 0

  • Total Badges: 9
    Badges: (View All)
    Search Third year Anniversary Windows User Level 2 Second year Anniversary Topic Starter
No, 9T .325. I'm pretty sure narrow kerf setups come only in .325.

Offline Cut4fun .

  • Administrator
  • Nitro Hotsaw
  • *******
  • Posts: 23744
  • Karma: 664
  • OHIO REDNECK Saw Repair Getter Done
    • Redneck Chainsaw Repair

  • Total Badges: 53
    Badges: (View All)
    Tenth year Anniversary Nineth year Anniversary Level 8 Apple User Eighth year Anniversary 20000 Posts
I have no clue. Never ran a saw or seen a saw with narrow nerf.  What exactly is it?

I did get a trim saw with .043 stuff and I pulled the whole set up off.

Offline bloodontheice

  • 6 cube
  • ****
  • Posts: 206
  • Karma: 29

  • Total Badges: 19
    Badges: (View All)
    Fifth year Anniversary Fourth year Anniversary Karma Good Level 4 Third year Anniversary Karma
I've heard narrow kerf referred to but I've never seen one in person or in pictures.
So I'm assuming the teeth of the chain are narrower than standard, and running .325 x .050 gauge
Is the width of the bar itself narrower too?

Offline Cut4fun

  • Administrator
  • Nitro Hotsaw
  • *******
  • Posts: 4672
  • Karma: 216
  • OHIO REDNECK

  • Total Badges: 44
    Badges: (View All)
    Tenth year Anniversary Nineth year Anniversary Eighth year Anniversary Level 7 Seventh year Anniversary Apple User
I was hoping the OP would shed some light on this so us unknowing types had a clue.

So what is this narrow kerf stuff?  Info man info.................................... ::)


Just searching for info to try and understand.

narrow kerf technology. Narrow kerf saw chain makes your chainsaws cut faster with less power, because both the bar and chain have been streamlined to a thinner size.

Husqvarna Depth Gauge Tool for .325 Narrow Kerf Pitch Chainsaw Chain
Works with the following Chainsaw Chain:

    * Carlton K1NK, K1NK-BL
    * Husqvarna H30, S30
    * Oregon 95VP
    * WoodlandPRO 20NK

Blood this link shows a pic of  the kerf like you are talking about.   http://www.oregonchain.com/pdf/misc/MicroLiteBroch.pdf

Offline Old Iron Logging

  • Nitro Hotsaw
  • *******
  • Posts: 1134
  • Karma: 82

  • Total Badges: 31
    Badges: (View All)
    Level 6 Nineth year Anniversary Eighth year Anniversary Seventh year Anniversary Sixth year Anniversary Fifth year Anniversary
Tried narrow kerf, don't like it for 2 reasons.
Chain is not chisel style and not tough enough for my type of work.
95VP is the best of the lot.

Offline Old Iron Logging

  • Nitro Hotsaw
  • *******
  • Posts: 1134
  • Karma: 82

  • Total Badges: 31
    Badges: (View All)
    Level 6 Nineth year Anniversary Eighth year Anniversary Seventh year Anniversary Sixth year Anniversary Fifth year Anniversary
As far as bars go, I have never found a good narrow kerf bar for Stihl.

Offline quietrangr

  • 3 cube
  • *
  • Posts: 6
  • Karma: 0

  • Total Badges: 9
    Badges: (View All)
    Search Third year Anniversary Windows User Level 2 Second year Anniversary Topic Starter
Thanks for your replies, everyone. Hadn't checked here for a few days. Yes, narrow kerf chain cuts a narrower band of wood than the standard .325. The bars are also narrower. I was using a 361 with lgx 3/8 .50, then switched to the 346 with narrow kerf 95 vp and 95 vpx, (the low vibe version of 95vp). In a 14 inch aspen cut the 346 was three seconds slower than the 361 (13 and 16 seconds), and that was little enough time lost for me to switch to the smaller saw. (I haven't done a timed cut between a 3/8 standard and .325 narrow kerf on the same saw, but just in general, the 361 seemed much faster and smoother with the narrow kerf than the 33rsc (3/8) Stihl chain.) The narrow kerf setup weighed .7 lbs less than the 3/8 setup. The chains last me about three weeks compared to the 3/8 at about ten days in use of about six to seven hours a day. Considering the weight difference between the 361 and 346, the whole saw and narrow kerf setup was two pounds lighter than the 361 3/8 setup. So, I didn't have the same experience as Old Iron. I really like the chain, and the Husqvarna narrow kerf bars hold up fine, but would like to find a good quality narrow kerf  bar to run on the Stihl. It looks like I'm maybe out of luck because the Oregon Microlite bars, as I mentioned in the original post, don't hold up.

Offline HolmenTree

  • Nitro Hotsaw
  • *******
  • Posts: 1382
  • Karma: 199
  • Location: Manitoba Canada

  • Total Badges: 34
    Badges: (View All)
    Tenth year Anniversary Nineth year Anniversary Eighth year Anniversary Level 6 1000 Posts Seventh year Anniversary
I have found the best application for the narrow kerf .325 H30 / Oregon 95VP is on my 2 top handle saws, Husky 338XPT and Stihl MS200. The beauty about the 338XPT .325 setup is it has a rim sprocket , the MS200 only has a .325 spur drum available.
I use the Husqvarna narrow kerf bars on both the 200 and 338.
I prefer the micro chisel [semi chisel] as a work chain. Holds a excellent edge for the long run. I have tried the H30 / 95VP on my 346XP and found it was more agressive and "seemed" to cut faster then the chisel 20LP. Now Oregon has introduced the 95VPX with more efficent top plate angles and is said to cut 15% faster then the old 95VP.
For the "bigger" Stihl 361 why not just use .325 20LP with 9 pin and forget about the narrow kerf setup?
Making a living with a saw since age 16.

 

Related Topics

  Subject / Started by Replies Last post
4 Replies
532 Views
Last post April 22, 2013, 12:22:51 am
by HolmenTree
1 Replies
428 Views
Last post November 05, 2013, 12:38:23 am
by Eccentric
1 Replies
408 Views
Last post May 02, 2014, 10:15:03 pm
by RoyM
4 Replies
646 Views
Last post April 03, 2015, 09:25:53 am
by wild262
8 Replies
628 Views
Last post June 17, 2015, 01:20:14 pm
by RoyM
3 Replies
463 Views
Last post August 22, 2015, 11:55:23 am
by Cut4fun .
1 Replies
306 Views
Last post February 13, 2016, 07:24:03 pm
by kanscruzer
13 Replies
1845 Views
Last post October 23, 2019, 10:56:27 am
by Cut4fun .
2 Replies
381 Views
Last post December 03, 2020, 09:20:04 am
by Cut4fun .
3 Replies
577 Views
Last post September 04, 2021, 09:53:49 pm
by Elden